Family Claims Part 1
by Shoikana
Summary: This story stars Terry McGinnis from Batman Beyond along with Lian, Roy Harper's daughter, as a grown woman and chasing her mother Cheshire. Note: Although this is listed as part one, it can stand alone. The second part is really a whole other story.


"Come on, Terry,I thought we were gonna go out tonight,"Dana complained.School had just ended for the day, and the couple was just leaving the building.

"Yeah, I know.I'm sorry," Terry started, "It's just that Mr.."

"Yeah, yeah.Mr. Wayne has you working tonight.No wonder the guy's so rich; he never stops working." They started the trek home, walking down the main street from the school.

"Actually, the start of his wealth was inherited."Terry offered, knowing it wouldn't help his defense.

"Yeah, well the guy needs to take a vacation.And more importantly, give you one." 

"Maybe Friday.I'll tell.."Terry stopped, noticing that his girlfriend's attention had been taken off him and onto something down an alley they were passing.As Dana's expression changed to strange fascination, Terry stopped and turned to see the cause.He saw a woman dressed in a green bodysuit singlehandedly defeding herselfagainst three heavily armed costumed men.Terry recognized them as Powers' goons. Terry turned back to Dana and started his usual excuse process,"Um..I gotta go, Dana.I'll call you later." 

He was already running out of sight back towards the school as Dana called to him, "Terry!They don't even see us..!"The only response Dana received was a hand wave as Terry disappeared around a corner.Disgusted with both Terry's departure, although she thought that was odd; Terry didn't usually run from a fight, and the violence before her, Dana huffed and continued her trek home.

By the time Batman appeared, the green-suited woman had downed one of the men and was going after the remaining two.He flew into the air andto the battle as he heard Bruce Wayne's voice in his ear, "McGinnis!"

"Yeah?" Batman answered his mentor with a touch of impatience.He had turned on the video display so that Wayne could see what he saw.

"Be careful!She's dangerous!"

"Aren't they all?" was Batman's flippant remark, but he took the warning seriously.Bruce must know 

her--with her salt-and-pepper hair indicating age, Terry thought they'd have a chance to know each other well--and she must really be dangerous if he's telling Terry to be careful.Batman landed in the skirmish by plowing feet first into one of the men, knocking him out.By the time he landed solidly and turned to face the woman and her remaining opponent, she had won the battle.

"Are you .." Batman started before he realized that the woman hadn't stopped.She came toward him with an almost feral grin, her long nails leading her attack. "Whoa, whoa! We're on the same side!" Terry said, then as an afterthought, "I think.."

He heard Wayne's warning, "Terry, get out of there!" as he managed to narrowly escape being scratched, being knocked off balance in the process. Normally he wouldn't be concerned by a fingernail scratch, even without the high-tech armor in the suit, but something in this woman's eyes told him to be wary.He allowed his weight to fall, and rolled away from the woman, coming up feet first and meaning to leap into the air.Unfortunately, the green-clad woman was already on top of him, and he didn't get a chance to stand.He knew he was going to find out just how deadly this woman was since the only thing he could do was attempt to block, when suddenly something flew from above between them.The woman, taken by surprise, looked to find a crossbow bolt wedged into the wall next to them.Her eyes narrowed, and to Terry's surprise, she pushed him to the ground and left the scene, running out of the alley before Terry could think twice.

Terry simply sat where he was for a moment, trying to catch his breath.He heard Bruce's question asking if he was all right. "Yeah, I'm fine," he responded, "Just taken a little by surprise.Who was that?"

Instead of answering Terry's question, Wayne responded with one of his own."What flew between you two?"Remembering the event, Terry looked at the bolt and relayed the information.As he looked up to find the source of the bolt, he found a woman coming down from the rooftop, using the fire escape to control her descent.

She landed next to Batman with a charmer's smile and a twinkle in her eye.She had the almond-shaped eyes and silky jet black hair of the Japanese, although she didn't seem full-blooded Asian.Her hair was long and tied in a braid that trailed down her spine, and she was clad in a brown and clay-red bodysuit with a tri-feather design on the chest.Terry thought she seemed in her early thirties.She asked, "You ok?" as she offered him a hand. Terry heard a thoughtful "hmm" in his ear.

Terry took the offered hand and was hauled to his feet."Uh, yeah, I'm fine.Thanks.Do you know who that was?"

"You're welcome.Yes,I do.She's an assasin you don't want to mess with.Trust me."She removed her archer's gloves and placed them in a hip pouch.

"Yeah, I gathered.She seemed to bolt–uh, no pun intended–at the sight of you."

"She and I have..an understanding..of sorts."Terry was dying to ask what that was, but he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to hear the answer.

Terry nodded."Who are you? Haven't seen you around."She seemed to have loads of charisma, and Terry wondered at her background.Although she looked partially Asian, her outfit suggested Native American.

"Red Arrow.I think Cheshire hurt my father."Terry thought Red Arrow looked uneasy, " I'm out to try to undo what she's done."Red Arrow made a point to look Batman up and down. She lured him closer with a bent finger and whispered in his ear, "I'm guessing you're not Bruce Wayne." She straightened and grinned, expecting the reaction she received.

"What..?How..?" Terry straightened and studdered, trying not to act surprised, and failing miserably.

Terry was trying to come up with an appropriate response when Bruce said in his ear, "Bring her here.And Terry, after you meet her, it's up to you if you want to disclose your identity."

Glad for the mask covering his shocked expression, and forgetting that he appeared to be talking to himself,Terry said, "Uh..yeah, ok. No problem."Red Arrow raised an eyebrow, and Terry wondered how the woman before him knew Bruce's secret.For all he knew, considering he only recently found out about Bruce's son Dick, Red Arrow was Bruce's daughter.

"Um," he started, knowing he didn't sound very Batman-like, "Would you come with me?Someone wants to meet you."

Red Arrow grinned and nodded assent, knowing just who that 'someone' was.

**

Terry and Red Arrow arrived in the Batcave half an hour later, Terry having called the Batwing by remote.Terry tried to help Red Arrow out of the aircraft when she jumped out on her own, smiling charmingly at Batman.She walked up to Bruce, who had stood and started toward the pair.Terry followed.

"So, this is the famous Batcave," Red Arrow started, "And I'm guessing I'm in the presence of Bruce Wayne." She stated matter-of-factly.

"Yes, Lian.Nice to see you again."When they last met, Lian had been too young to remember."How's your father?"Bruce had always found Roy to be an arrogant young man, but ever since Roy was a teen, Bruce had held a special interest in his welfare.

"Not good.He's in the hospital, and the doctors think he's permenantly lost the use of his hands.I followed Cheshire here from New York.Uncle Ni..uh..Uncle Dick said I might run into the newest Batman."She glanced sideways at Terry who hadn't taken off his cowl yet. 

"Uh, anyone care to fill me in?" Terry started, "You're not gonna tell me you have *another* kid, are you?"He addressed Bruce.Only last month he had learned from Barbara Gordon that Bruce had a son with whom Bruce hadn't spoken in almost twenty years.

"No," Bruce answered, "Lian's father is one of Dick's closest friends, and probably the world's best archer."Bruce noticed the beaming pride Lian exuded at the compliment paid to her father."They've been teammates for years.Dick isn't really her uncle."Terry nodded, and noticed the silent communication between Bruce and Lian as Bruce's expression held a question and Lian almost inperceptually shook her head.He tried to descretely study Lian.

"Let's sit,"Bruce suggested, which sounded more like a command."Lian, tell us what happened to Roy."

Lian sighed, taking the offered seat.Terry sat next to her, and Bruce sat on her other side.She faced Bruce."He was coming back from the Phoenix Center;that's the drug rehab group where he volunteers; when Mo..uh Cheshire..attacked him.He said he thought he was a goner; that she was overwhelming him; but it turned out whatever she scratched him with wasn't lethal, thank God.He was knocked out before she left, so he was surprised to find himself alive.He received a moderate concussion from the fight, which is mostly why he's still in the hospital, and when he woke up, he couldn't move his hands or wrists."

Lian sighed again, and looked down at her own hands, "Dad tries to put on a good face, but I can tell this really has him worried.He depends on his archery too much for his work."

"Why do you think Cheshire attacked Roy?" Bruce asked.

Shrugging, Lian said, "I imagine someone wants him out of the way.Even now, Dad tries to protect me from his work, but even I know he's made a few nasty enemies.I can only hope she took on the assignment to protect him;she knew if anyone else got the assignment, he'd be dead.I'm hoping her goal was to only get him out of the way; that she didn't want to kill him."

Terry spoke up, "Why would she care?You've both make her sound pretty ruthless."

With a moment's silence, Bruce made it clear to Lian that she was to answer Terry.Lian thought a moment, weighing her words."They have..history.They've always had kind of an unofficial truce.Most of the time they simply try to stay out of each other's way."Terry nodded thoughtfully, thinking that there was something Lian wasn't telling.

Bruce questioned, "Why Gotham?"

"Well if you keep tabs on everyone like Dad always says you do," Bruce raised his eyebrow at that, and his mouth quirked, "you probably know that Derek Powers is not a nice person…"

"Hah," Terry interrupted, "That's the understatement of the year."

Lian looked at Terry, mildly annoyed at being interrupted, "Anyway, Uncle Dick thinks Dad's been scratched with a kind of computer virus. Not the old-fashioned kind, rather the kind that's used against people.For one, it's not a normal poison, because Sarah tried to help Dad with her power and it didn't work.For another, the damage is too specific and too perfect to get Dad out of action.Vance Electronics topped the list of most likely companies that would create something like that, and Derek Powers, who of course bought Vance from those 'outside investors' last year, is just the kind of slime to allow that kind of project.But that doesn't answer why Cheshire's here now."

"Maybe she's trying to cover her tracks," Terry suggested."Make sure Powers doesn't ruin her reputation since he probably knows she was supposed to kill your dad."

"Maybe," Bruce said, "Or maybe Powers himself was the one to contract Cheshire.In any case, even she is going to have a hard time getting close enough to Powers to kill him or to even threaten him.And if she does get close enough, we have to stop her."

"Stop her?!" Terry said incredulously, "Seems to me she'd be doing us a favor." Wayne's eyes bore into the teen.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Terry sighed."No killing.No matter how slimy the target is."Resigned to his mentor's ethics, Terry continued, addressing Lian, "Ok," he said, "So we know who probably provided the means, and who attacked your dad, but who started this whole thing?Who sent the hit out on your dad?"

"That, Bat Wonder, is a good question.Bruce might be right; it might be Powers himself."Lian said.Terry noticed a twinkle in Bruce's eye when Lian addressed him.Bruce thought to himself that Lian showed definite signs of having been raised by Roy. "But I'm not really concerned about that now.Uncle Dick and James are working on finding out who hired Cheshire." James was Dick's son, and the newest Robin to Dick's Nightwing."My job is to find an antidote to the virus, and to stop Cheshire if she intends to kill Powers.When I told Dad I wanted to go after Cheshire, he forbad it, but I don't listen too well."She grinned crookedly, "Uncle Dick says I've got too much of Dad in me.Anyway, he helped me to trace her here to Gotham, and to trace the virus to Vance.He told me some things about Gotham, and he asked me to give this to you."She produced a sealed note addressed to Bruce in Dick's handwriting.Bruce took it and studied it for a moment.The note was the first communication between father and son for almost twenty years, and while he kept an outward stoic expression, he mentally smiled to himself.Even after twenty years of silence, his son knew he would bring Lian in when he saw her in Gotham.Although all he wanted to do was to read the note now, he was aware that he was being watched by his younger companions, and tucked the note away to be read later.

Taking the attention off the note, Bruce said, "Lian, I think if Batman is going to help with this, he should know the whole story."

Terry raised his eyebrow at that, and looked to Lian expectantly.Lian said, "I don't need any help, thanks anyway.I've been messing with Cheshire longer than I can remember."

"Yes, but you haven't been messing with Powers," Bruce reminded her."If any kind of above-the-law justice happens in this town, Batman is going to be there, understood?"

"You've got to be kidding me," Lian said. Terry tried not to be offended.

With as much as a smile as Terry had ever seen him give, Bruce said, "Your father should have told you that I have no sense of humor."

Lian let out a short laugh, "Well that's true."She sighed, "Well Uncle Dick always said you were protective of Gotham; like a father to a daughter. "Lian's eyes smiled as she said that last bit.Bruce knew that Lian had edited that quote; that Dick had said overprotective.His thoughts went back to Dick's note, but instead he turned his attention back to the matter at hand as he waited for Lian to share her secret.

"So Batman gets to know my secret, but I don't get to know his?" Lian said in a tone reminiscent of her father.

"If you want to work in Gotham, yes,"Bruce said unmovably.

Lian sighed, and looked like she was bracing herself, "Ok, here goes nothing." She looked at Terry, "You know when I said my dad and Cheshire had history?I'm the result."

Terry was stunned, "You mean..?"

"She's my mother." Lian stated matter-of-factly.

"Whoa," Terry said, "And I thought my parents fought." Noticing Lian's annoyed expression, Terry consciously closed his mouth and looked at Bruce, expecting his mentor to read his mind, and trying to decipher if what he was about to do was the right thing. Not suprisingly, Bruce's eyes reflected Terry's unspoken question, and Bruce nodded slightly.Terry took a deep breath and exhaled delibrately."Well, an eye for an eye I guess, and to tell you the truth, it would be kind of nice to let *someone* know."He brought his hands to his cowl and pulled it back.He extended his hand to Lian, "Terry McGinnis."To Lian's stunned expression, Terry shrugged, "I guess not all of us are so secretive."

Catching herself, Lian responded, "Oh it's not that.You just look the spitting image of the pictures of Uncle Dick when he was a kid."Terry noticed Bruce's stunned expression.The resemblance obviously hadn't occurred to him. "You've both got those wonderful deep blue eyes."Lian's own eyes sparkled.

"Uh..thanks," Terry blushed and got back to business.He turned to his mentor. "So Lian and I will chase Cheshire's tail and convince Powers that he really wants to give us the antidote to that virus."

"Yes.And I'll be watching from here.Bring back that antivirus for Roy."

**

"So tell me about 'Uncle Dick'?"Terry asked his partner as he unscrewed the cover to the vent opening on the rooftop of Vance Electronics."All I know about him is that he is Bruce's son, and that they haven't talked in years."

With her arms folded and her crossbow slung across her back, Lian shrugged and answered, "What do you want to know?I've known him my whole life."

Terry elaborated as he set the removed cover on the ground."What's he like?Anything like Bruce?"

Lian stated, "Well, I don't know Bruce at all, but from comments my dad has made, they do have a lot in common.Dad still calls him Batboy which drives him nuts to no end."She paused, "He's kind.And loyal almost to a fault.Dad always says that he wouldn't be here today if it weren't for Uncle Dick.He had major problems as a teenager that would have killed him. You can count on him for anything, but he's stubborn too.If he thinks he's right, there's no talking him out of it.He's the absolute best at what he does.I think Dad and he were kind of rivals, but the don't really seem like it now except that they pick on each other once in a while."

Nodding, Terry said, "Sounds like Bruce.They're probably too much alike..that's why they can't get along."After a pause, he brought them back to the matter at hand."This shaft can be followed to a secret room that I don't think Powers even knows about." In response to Lian's unspoken question, Terry simply said, "Bruce built this building."They crawled to the indicated room with Terry leading the way.Terry lowered himself into the room, and reported to Bruce as Lian joined him.

Lian waited as Batman stood in silence, obviously taking direction from Mr. Wayne.After a moment, he said, "Cheshire's here.This way."He placed his fingertips against a wall; the tips had a microphone capable of picking up sounds too soft for human hearing; and after a moment, pushed one side.The wall turned, and they found themselves in a filing room. 

"Come on," Terry urged, "She's closing in on Powers."

"Must be nice to have a behind-the-scenes partner."

"Yeah, it helps," Terry said noncommitedly.

After listening to the outside door, Batman waved his partner forward and stepped into the hallway."This way," he waved, then after a moment, "Hurry, Bruce says they're together."Batman ran down the hallway closely followed by Red Arrow.Only once were they close to be confronted, except that the guard that tried was pinned against the wall with one of Lian's crossbow bolts before he could even make an offensive move.

They ran into a chemical laboratory fully expecting to find Cheshire attacking Powers.Instead, they found Powers sitting on a lab stool with a self-righteous grin as though he was waiting for them."What..?" Batman started, and both he and Lian started to glance around the room hurriedly, Lian with her crossbow at ready.Suddenly Terry noticed Lian tense and raise her bow slightly.He followed her gaze to find Cheshire sauntering towards then with a grin.

"Well, well, I'm glad you two could join us.I told you they'd come."The last was said to Powers.Addressing Batman, Cheshire said, "Mr. Powers and I have a little bet.I bet him the antidote to that nasty little virus I gave Arsenal that I could kill you.Think I have a chance?"She asked as she theartrically examined her long nails.

"You want the antidote?"Terry spoke without thinking.Only after he started did he realize he was causually speaking to a woman who had his death on her mind.

Cheshire smiled politely at Batman, "Lucky for the archer someone else paid me more to keep him in action.So, Bat, ready to play?"She grinned dangerously.

"You got it, lady.I can take anything you can give."

Cheshire laughed, "Sure you can." She started to advance on Terry as she gave Lian a look indicating that she was to stay out of it.Lian returned the look with one of her own indicating that she had no intention of staying on the sidelines while Cheshire killed Batman.Of course Cheshire expected Lian's reaction, but it was necessary for the play.Cheshire saw Lian's eyes start to droop and she smiled and waved to her daughter, "Good night, sweetie."As Lian collapsed, Cheshire turned her full attention back to Batman and explained, "She'll be fine after you're dead.I know Red Arrow well enough to slip her a tranq."She grinned ferally, "It's just you and me Bat.Let's give Mr. Powers a show."

"Yeah.Let's," Terry growled.Mention of Powers started Terry's blood boiling.Terry knew Powers had had his father killed.It was that event that had triggered Terry's career as Batman.

The opponents started to circle each other .Terry made the first move, lunging for Cheshire, as he heard Bruce's warning, "Be careful, Terry.She's deadly."Cheshire moved easily out of the way and landed a side kick into Terry's side.Batman reacted with a cough and a stagger, and Terry started to realize how grateful he was that the Batman armor covered his whole body.Before Terry could recover, Cheshire's poison-tipped nails made their mark across his chest, ripping, to Terry's surprise, right through his armor.Terry was so surprised that he didn't see Cheshire's next kick coming and knew he had lost the fight as Cheshire's green figure blurred and everything went dark.

"All too easy,"Cheshire said as she studied the heroes' fallen forms.She addressed her client, "I trust you'll follow our agreement and give me the antidote?"

"Certainly," Powers answered, outwardly calm, but inwardly shaking in his skin."I wouldn't dare cross you.Here,"he tossed the vial to the Asian assasin which she caught easily.

She said, "Right now, Batman is only unconscious.I'll gladly finish him off, but if I may be so bold, I've noticed how you like to play with your enemies first.Perhaps a little game first?"

Powers grinned, "What did you have in mind?"

**

"Batman, wakeup! Batman!!"As Terry came to consciousness, he found himself being jolted unmercilessly.

"Ok! All right!I'm awake!"He protested.Then he saw the direness of their situation.He and Lian were hanging back-to-back from one wrist each, and their other wrists and feet were tied together, but hanging free.They were in what looked like a well, and they were being lowered.They were about ten feet from the bottom, where Terry could see something moving.He didn't want to know what it was.He looked up, and saw Powers' silhouette.He tried to fly only to find the rocket boosters didn't work.He took stock of himself and reported, "Rockets don't work.And I can't reach anything that can get us out of this.I thought you said you and Cheshire had an understanding."

"We do.She knew I could get out of this." Lian said.

"Care to show me?"

"Sure.Pull us up so I can get slack in my arm."Terry obliged.Luckily the enhanced strength the suit gave was still there since Terry wasn't sure he could have done it alone in his current state. He watched as Lian used her 'free' hand to retrieve something that looked like a lockpick from her sleeve."Let your arm go limp," she meant his free arm, and she shook hers to indicate."Go with the flow," she warned as she eyed the movement at the bottom of the well, looking for a glint of eye.She raised her free hand and threw, andwas rewarded by an eerie cry and motionlessness.

"Whoa.I'm impressed," Terry said matter-of-factly.

"Thanks.My dad's 100 times better.I hope you can swim." She said as she eyed the top of the well.Powers' silhouette was gone, and the lowering had stopped.The pair waited a moment to see if they would be raised or lowered, and when nothing did, Lian asked, "Can you climb?"

"Sure," Terry answered.Guiding Lian's hand, Terry put his 'free' hand on the rope, and started to haul himself and Lian to the top.As he climbed hand-over-hand, he asked, "I guess we're hoping there's no one waiting for us at the top?"

"I'll be ready.Stop right below the opening and keep an eye out for big guys with guns, ok?"

"Yeah, no problem."

Terry stopped when instructed and Lian bent her knees as far as she could, forcing Terry to do the same."Can you let go with the free hand?"Lian asked.Terry answered by doing so, and Lian brought their hands to her boot.She pulled a knife and used it to cut their feet apart. "Whoa!" Terry was taken by surprise and swung a little wildly for a moment."Got anything else in there?"

She replaced the knife and pulled out a crossbow bolt with a grin.Terry said, "Man, do you sleep with those things?"

"Sometimes," Lian grinned, although Terry had to settle for hearing the grin in her voice. "When we get to the top, you control getting out ok?I'll follow."

"Ok,"Terry knew Lian had him control their flight because of his enhanced strength.Terry continued the climb.As they reached the top, Terry pushed off the inside of the well, gaining enough momentum to land them outside the well with enough slack in the rope to move independantly of the well.

They took a quick inventory.Powers was nowhere to be seen, but Terry wasn't surprised.There were 5 guards advancing on them from all directions.Lian spotted her crossbow in the possession of one of the guards advancing towards her."Batman, this way!"Terry looked in her direction and saw what she wanted.

Terry shouted, "Go! I'll follow!"Lian did a forward flip, as Terry followed in a back flip, and they landed in front of the guard,Lian facing, and Terry with his back to him.There was still some slack in the rope that still tied them to the well.The guard advanced, raising Lian's crossbow, but before he could aim and fire, Lian threw the crossbow bolt she was holding, and it found the guard's hand, forcing him to drop the bow and hold his hand in pain, apparently forgetting the heroes.The crossbow was out of reach, and faster than lightning, Lian drew her knife again and cut herself from Batman and from the well.She sheathed the knife, retrieved her bow, and, apparently without aiming, shot the guard about to overtake Batman.

"Thanks," Terry said as he sidekicked the next guard in line.Quickly nocking another bolt, Lian shot the fourth, and repeating her actions, the last.She shouldered her bow as Batman said, "Well that was fun.Powers is long gone.Think we still have to worry about Cheshire?"

"No, she's history.I think what she said, or at least what she said she was trying to do was true.She knows how important Dad is to me. Let's go back to your boss."

"Sounds like a plan."

**

"Let's talk.

Dick"

Bruce stared at the words carefully written in his son's handwriting as he had been doing on and off since Terry and Lian left the Batcave.He tried to pull added meaning out of the words, trying to predict his reaction to seeing and talking to Dick for the first time in twenty years.

At the tell-tale sound of the Batwing entering the cave, Bruce hurriedly tucked the note away and awaited the young heroes' arrival.After a few minutes, the craft landed on its pad, and Batman and Red Arrow disembarked.Removing his cowl and followed by Lian, Terry approached his mentor who had stood at their arrival.Terry reported, "It was a trap.Cheshire told Powers she'd kill me, but Lian doesn't think she had any intention.Powers is still alive, and as far as we know, Cheshire took off with the antidote."

"The antidote?"Bruce looked puzzled as he looked to Lian.

Lian answered, "She says she was paid more money by someone else to keep Dad alive, but I'm not sure that's not just a cover.I don't think she ever intended to kill Batman.We were ensnared, but with enough equipment that we could get out easily.Which leads me to believe that Powers was Cheshire's real target.That she just wanted the antidote and told Powers what he wanted to hear to get it."

"The question now is: Did she really take it to Arsenal?" Terry wondered.

"Let's call Dick and find out,"Bruce said.He said it as though the call would be routine, and pointedly ignored the shocked expressions received by his companions.Both Terry and Lian were left to wonder what astounding words were said in that note as Bruce moved to the vidconsole.

"872-9.." Lian started.

"I know the number," Bruce interrupted as he dialed.

A teenaged boy with dark reddish hair and blue-green eyes answered the phone.He started, "Hello.." before his eyes went wide and he called off-screen, "Dad!"Bruce sat in silent wonder.He had just seen his grandson for the first time ever.

After a moment, Dick appeared.He smiled knowingly as he said simply, "Hello, Bruce.You got my note?"Bruce looked at Dick.His son's hair had started to show some gray, but his eyes still showed the fire Bruce remembered.

Bruce was surprised at tears that threatened to show themselves as he answered solemnly, "Yes.Thank you."To father and son, who knew the contents of the note, Bruce's words spoke volumes.Bruce steered away from topics unspoken; there would be time later for that; and addressed Roy's condition, "How's Roy?"

"He's much better.Hello, Lian."The last was said as Lian moved into Dick's frame of view."An antidote mysteriously appeared yesterday, and is working perfectly.Roy's home and happily splitting arrows in two.He's convinced Cheshire brought it, even though it contradicts the glaring evidence that she wanted him taken down."

"He's right," Bruce said."These two encountered her." Although Dick couldn't see Terry, he knew the second person had to be the new Batman."She claimed to be hired by someone who offered more money to keep him in action."

Dick shrugged, "No one we know."He looked at Lian who was grinning from ear to ear.So, Lian thought, Mom still does care about Dad, even though she won't admit it."Anyway, Roy's anxious to see you, Lian.I'll tell him you're fine, but he misses his little girl." Dick teased."And you come too, Bruce.It's been entirely too long between us, and I want James to know his grandfather.And bring Terry too if you want.He and James can talk shop."

"What?" Bruce stopped short, "How did you know?"

"Oh, come on, Bruce," Dick teased, "I was trained by the World's Greatest Detective, wasn't I?"


End file.
